


new wounds

by cosygirlfriend



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Genre: F/M, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:00:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22138942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosygirlfriend/pseuds/cosygirlfriend
Summary: it's only been a couple years since this arrangement came to be. Demeter still isn't used to it.
Relationships: Demeter & Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Hades/Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 63





	new wounds

She prepares her daughter bread and yogurt for the morning, waking her with a few gentle nudges. She waits outside on a worn quilt, looking toward the north where the trees are beginning to lose their greenery. Demeter lets out a tired sigh and turns to watch her Kore come out of the flowing curtains to sit beside her. 

Demeter puts a hand in Persephone's hair, twisting the orange strands gently. "How about I oil your hair? We'll braid it for the party."

Persephone nods. She doesn't speak.

Unease curls in Demeter's stomach. She gestures to a nymph for the oil. The bottle is slick when handed to her. She pulls her daughter's hair back and combs through with the oil, lavender permeating the air. They sit there in silence for a while, watching the wind blow the flowers and the grass, nymphs and naiads dancing in the forest around them.

~.~

Demeter sits between Hera and Hestia, watching the festivities with a glass of wine in her hand. Her daughter is dancing with Hermes, the two of them laughing and spinning around. She watches fondly, smiling. But she can't help but think about this morning. And every other morning for six months. Her daughter's brown eyes, once so lively, now sad. She wishes she could keep her with her forever, as is her right as a mother. Damn that Hades for making her daughter a miserable creature.

She catches herself before she squeezes her glass too hard and pretends to laugh at Hera's chatty banter. Persephone is across the room, sitting with Hermes and Artemis. Her smile is uncertain. Demeter looks back at Hera and smiles. The air gets colder, a little more sinister. She seems to be the only one who notices. She looks back to Persephone. Only Hermes and Artemis remain, both still talking but looking a little reserved. Demeter is out of her seat before she realizes, drink in hand. Somewhere along the way she loses the glass, pushing around gods and goddesses, demi-gods and heroes, witches and magicians. Her nails are biting into her palms, but they're rough. She hardly notices. She turns the corner and almost comes upon them immediately but pauses behind the pillar. 

There is her daughter, pressed against the wall, her eyes finally sparkling, her mouth in a small smile. And there is Hades. He is taller than any of the gods behind her in that party, and the thinnest too, wiry but not starving. His hand is on Persephone's waist, his other smoothing back the wisps of hair that escaped from her braid. She wants to shout, but her throat suddenly catches, her feet frozen to the floor. She can barely hear their whispers from where she is, but the look on her daughter's face says everything. She looks happy for the first time since she arrived home.

She watches Hades kiss her, her only daughter. Her sweet, innocent daughter. Who is kissing back, her hands gentle on Hades' shoulders. Her hands are small and freckled, the hands Demeter has kissed and tended to, bandaged and held. Somehow, Demeter's anger is leaving her. She tries to pull it back, but she can't. 

Their mouths are meeting, again and again, hands caressing each other. Demeter can't look anymore. She walks back and the floor feels as though it's falling beneath her. She returns to her seat and the party is still lively as ever, Zeus twirling the lovely little Hebe, Ares and Eros laughing over mead with Athena, Hermes stuffing his face with salted cheese. She's numb to it. 

Hera's cold hand touches her shoulder. Her voice is a close whisper. "Witnessing true love is powerful, isn't it?"

It takes all her strength to turn her head to her sister. Hera's smile is genuine. But there's a smugness there. Demeter looks away. Her hands tremble in her lap.

~.~

Persephone takes her hair out of her braid slowly, putting a foot into the water. Demeter is sitting by the edge, her legs submerged. She feels the tickles of minnows at her toes and wonders if her daughter misses these things while she's away. Persephone sinks in fully and makes a small hurt noise when the cool water touches her sunburn. Demeter smiles. Her lips ache. "I'll miss you these six months."

Persephone looks over her shoulder at Demeter. "Will you?"

The question strikes Demeter quite suddenly with fear. "Yes, my dearest."

Persephone looks away, her head angled toward the water. Her hair is illuminated by the bright glowing rocks in the pool. 

Demeter feels as though she might shake out of her skin. "This attitude you've brought back with you isn't like you. Shall I put a stop to this arrangement before three years come?"

"You couldn't even if you wanted to," Persephone says quietly. 

The blood rushes to her head. She wonders if she heard correctly. Before she knows it, her hand is stinging and Persephone's cheek is red. Her hand is to her face. Her eyes are dark. She goes out of the pool calmly and goes back to the awning, curtains fluttering behind her. 

_She is never that calm,_ thinks Demeter. She puts her hand in the pool to soothe it and watches the small patterns of her tears in the water. 

~.~

The nymphs kiss Persephone goodbye, putting flowers in her hair and giggling with her. Persephone's smile is radiant. 

Demeter hugs her. Not as hard or as close as she would've, but the mark is still upon Persephone's face, even hours after. Hermes is standing there in the distance, waiting. His brow is knotted, his mouth in a small line. Demeter's guilt rests in her stomach. Persephone takes one last look at her mother as she takes Hermes' hand. Her face is relieved. Demeter's breath catches as they disappear. 

~.~

She receives a letter a week later. There's a flower stuck in the wax seal, dead stem melted within. She opens the letter. There within, it reads, _"Miss you dearly Mother. My Husband sends his love as well. Kore."_

Demeter burns the letter and watches the wax melt on the wood. The flower curls up and catches fire. She doesn't sleep that night.

**Author's Note:**

> just something to get started with lol


End file.
